Prestressed enclosure



May 14, 1968 R. s. KUSS PRESTRESSED ENCLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1965 INVENTOR. ROBE/97' .5. K055 ATTORNEYS.

y 4, 1968 R. s. KUSS 3,382,625

PRESTRESSED ENCLOSURE Filed May 19, 1965 2 Shets-Sheet 2 ROBERT S. KUSS United States Patent Oflice 3,382,625 Fatented May 1 1968 3,382,625 PRESTRESEZD ENCLOSURE Robert S. Kass, 699 Lee Drive, llroomall, Pa. 19088 Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 456,920 Claims. (Cl. 52-63) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An enclosure is provided with means for prestressing side walls in a direction extending from the bottom to the top so as to provide an equal amount of prestressing and support no matter how the enclosure is twisted or distorted by a cable having relative movement with respect to support points so that the cable can equalize the load throughout its length and distribute the load to other parts of the enclosure for absorption.

This invention relates to a prestressed enclosure of such a size that it may be lifted by a crane, a helicopter, etc.

The prestressed enclosure of the present invention is preferably adapted for use as a field enclosure by construction crews, the armed services, etc. The enclosure includes means within one of its walls for selectively providing access to the enclosure. Also, lifting hook means are provided on the enclosure to facilitate lifting the enclosure such as by a crane, a helicopter, etc.

The enclosures utilized heretofore suffer from a very serious defect. When they are lifted from above, the entire dead weight of the enclosure as well as any article therewithin is transmitted to the joints between the sec tions of the framework and/ or the outer shell or skin of the enclosure. Thus, the joints must be rigidly made from rigid materials of great strength in order to accommodate the stresses imparted thereto by lifting the enclosure and the contents thereof.

The present invention facilitates utilizing materials of lower strength and cost while reducing the stresses to which the members are subjected. Thus, in accordance with the present invention the framework of the enclosure and/ or roof and bottom wall may be selectively prestressed in an upward direction. As a result thereof, the enclosure will resume its normal position with the upward and downward forces equally balanced when suspended by lifting hook means from above. In other words, the direction of the drop load is 180 out of phase with respect to prestressed forces.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the enclosure of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view of one corner of the enclosure in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view .of a portion of the enclosure in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 an enclosure in accordance with the present invention designated generally as It).

Access into the enclosure 1% is selectively provided by means of door 12 on a front wall 14. The enclosure '10 also includes a rear wall 16, side walls 18 and 20, a top wall .or roof 22, and a bottom wall designated generally as 24.

Enclosure 10 is internally provided with a framework. The framework includes upright tubular members 26 at spaced points therearound including upright tubular members 30 at each corner. The tubular members extend between a lower horizontal tubular member 28 and an upper horizontal tubular member 31. Members 2 8 and 31 extend around the inner periphery of the enclosure 10.

At the location of each of the tubular members 26, the member 28 is interrupted to receive a T section 34. Section 34 is preferably in the form of a casting. One leg of the T section 34 extends into each of the adjacent ends of the member 28. The remaining leg of the T section 34 extends into the tubular member 26. The telescoping relationship facilitates internal support.

A pulley 36 is similarly supported by a T section beneath the other tubular section 26 along the wall 18. A cable 38 has its ends adjustably coupled to a tum-buckle 40. From the turnbuckle 40, the cable 38 extends through an aperture in the T section below tubular member 26', within the hollow tubular member 28, around the pulley 32, through an aperture in the T section 34, and around a pulley 42. Pulley 42 is supported adjacent the roof at the intersection of the walls 14 and 18 by a Y section 44. The Y section 44 has one leg telescoped into the corner tubular member 30, and its other leg telescoped into adjacent ends of the upper tubular member 31. The Y section 44 is preferably also a casting similar to the T section 34.

From the pulley 42, the cable 38 extends downwardly around pulley 46, through a corresponding portion .of the lower tubular member 28, around pulley 48, and up to a pulley 50. Pulleys 46 and 48 may be supported in the same manner as pulleys 3-2 and 36.

From pulley Stl, the cable 30 extends downwardly around pulleys 52 and 54. Pulleys 52 and 54 are preferably supported in the same manner as pulleys 32 and 36. From pulley 54, the cable 38 extends upwardly around pulley 56. Pulley 56 is preferably supported in the same manner as pulleys 42 and 50.

From pulley 56, the cable 38 extends downwardly around pulleys 58 and 60. Pulleys 5S and 60 are preferably supported in the same manner as pulleys 46 and 48. From pulley 60, the cable 38 extends upwardly around the pulley 62. Pulley 62 is preferably supported in the same manner as pulley 42. From pulley 62, the cable extends to and is coupled to the turnbuckle 40.

By turning the turnbuckle 40, the cable 38 may be tensioned to prestress the framework in an upward direction toward the roof 22 so as to prestress the framework in a direction directly opposite to the direction of the drop load. The direction of the drop load is that effected by gravity due to the dead weight of the enclosure and any contents thereof when the enclosure It! is horizontally disposed and supported from above.

The floor 24 may also be prestressed. The floor 24 is prestressed by means of cables 64 and 66 extending from diametrically opposite corners of the enclosure 10, with the ends of the cables being connected to a portion of the lower tubular member 28. Cable 64 is provided with a turnbuckle 68. Cable 66 is provided with a turnbuckle 7 When the turnbuckles 68 and 70 are turned, the fioor may be similarly prestressed.

If desired, the roof 22 may also be prestressed in the same direction as the framework and the floor 24. Thus, cables 72 and 74 have their opposite ends anchored to the upper horizontal tubular member 31. Cable 72 is pro vided with turnbuckle 78 and cable 74 is provided with a turnbuckle 76. The turn-buckles 76 and 78 may be utilized to tension the cables 72 and 74 and thereby prestress the roof 22.

The floor designated generally as 24 may be comprised of an upper skin member 80, a lower skin member 84, with appropriate insulation 82. Insulation 82 may be a foam polymeric material such as foam polyurethane. The enclosure is provided with an outer skin member 86 which may be a laminate of insulation and a weather resistant material if desired. Thus, a lightweight material such as sheet aluminum may be bonded to insulation such as foam polyurethane to form the outer skin member 86. Lifting hook means, such as lifting hooks 88, may be anchored to the upper corners of the enclosure 19 or any other convenient location. The lifting hooks 88 facilitate lifting the enclosure 10 from above my means of a crane, helicopter or the like.

Depending upon the ruggedness of the enclosure and its size as well as weight, the pulleys described above may be a single sheave pulley or a multi-sheave pulley with a corresponding number of cables as desired. As pointed out above, one or more of the vertical tube members disposed along the side, front or rear wall may be eliminated. The framework need not be made from hollow tubular members. When solid members are used for the frame work, the pulleys are preferably supported below the solid members.

The enclosure 16 may be a shipping container lacking a door in the normal sense.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Building structure comprising an enclosure having a horizontally disposed bottom wall coupled to upright walls disposed around the periphery of said bottom wall, a top wall coupled to the upper end of said upright walls, one of said walls having means for selectively providing access into the interior of said enclosure, a framework within said walls, lifting hook means on said enclosure to facilitate lifting said enclosure, and selectively adjustable means for prestressing said upright walls and floor in a direction extending from said bottom wall towards said top wall, said prestressing means including at least one pulley supported at the lower end of each upright wall and a pulley supported at the upper end of adjacent upright walls, a cable extending around said pulleys, an internal framework within said enclosure, said pulleys being supported by said framework, and an upright tubular member on the framework above said one pulley at the lower end of each upright wall.

2. Building structure in accordance with claim 1 where in substantial portions of the framework are hollow, and the pulleys being supported within the hollow framework.

3. Building structure comprising an enclosure having top and bottom walls coupled to upright side Walls, said top and bottom walls being substantially horizontally disposed, a first framework portion horizontally disposed adjacent the intersection of the upright walls and the top wall, a second framework portion horizontally disposed adjacent the intersection of the upright walls and the bottom wall, upright framework portions extending between said first and second mentioned framework portions, means for prestressing the upright walls in a direction extending fro-m said bottom wall to said top wall, said means including at least one pulley supported by said second framework portion alongside of each upright wall, a pulley supported by said first framework portion adjacent each intersection of adjacent upright walls, a cable alternately extending around the bottom of said first-mentioned pulleys and over the top of said secondmentioned pulleys, and selectively adjustable means coupled to the ends of said cable so that the ends of said cable are free from anchorage to said framework portions, whereby said cable may equalize any load throughout its length and distribute the load to each pulley.

4. Building structure in accordance with claim 3 including two longitudinally spaced pulleys supported by said second framework portion alongside each upright wall, and said cable extending around the bottom of each of the last-mentioned pulleys.

5. Building structure in accordance with claim 4 wherein said enclosure has side walls which are longer than end walls, the side walls having upright tubular members, and each tubular member being disposed above a pulley supported by said second framework portion, and the distance between adjacent tubular members being greater than the distance between either tubular member and the adjacent end Wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,052,960 2/1913 Rasmussen 52-63 1,167,354 1/1916 Crady 52--29'1 X 1,378,928 5/1921 Witzel 52-223 3,118,187 1/1964 Alimanestiano 52l43 X 3,123,186 3/1964 Adkinson 52143 X 3,272,582 9/1966 Anderson 52280 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,332 1/ 1912 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES G. MUELLER, Assistant Examiner. 

